Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies

The Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies, commonly abbreviated as CESS and known in Turkish as Avrasya Stratejik Araştırmalar Merkezi or ASAM, is a Turkish think tank established in 1999 by Turkish politician and academic Ümit Özdağ. It is described in reference material as Turkey's first think tank organization and was created to develop research and public awareness around national security, geopolitics, and Turkey's regional environment. CESS's research scope has extended across politics, economics, international relations, history, security, demography, law, and technology. Its geographic emphasis has been Turkey and the countries surrounding it, reflecting the organization's Eurasian orientation. Rather than operating as a consumer-facing brand, CESS has functioned primarily as a research, publication, and policy-analysis institution. Its intended audience includes policymakers, academics, journalists, students, and readers interested in Turkish foreign policy and regional security. A central objective attributed to CESS is the development of a national security strategy and a broader societal understanding of geopolitical affairs. The organization has pursued this objective through books, articles, research studies, journals, and specialized institutes. In 2000, it began publishing the monthly journal Strategical Analysis, known in Turkish as Stratejik Analiz. The journal provided a recurring platform for commentary and analysis on strategic affairs. In 2001, CESS established the Institution of Armenian Studies, or Ermeni Araştırmaları Enstitüsü, and began publishing the Review of Armenian Studies, also known in Turkish as Ermeni Çalışmalarının İncelenmesi. According to the reference material, the institute and journal addressed Armenian-related historical and political questions from a perspective intended to challenge what the organization characterized as ideological and contested theories concerning Turkey and Azerbaijan. This work placed CESS within politically sensitive debates involving Turkish, Armenian, and Azerbaijani history and identity. In 2006, CESS founded the Institution of Crimes Against Humanity, known in Turkish as İnsanlığa Karşı Suçlar Enstitüsü. This expansion indicated an additional institutional focus on historical violence, responsibility, and related political and legal questions. The available material does not provide a complete account of the institute's later activities, the organization's present operating status, its financing, or its leadership after the founding period. Accordingly, CESS's current status and relationship to other Turkish research organizations should be verified independently rather than assumed from the existence of its website or historical publications.

The Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies was founded in Turkey in 1999 by Ümit Özdağ, a Turkish politician and academic. The organization emerged as a dedicated think tank for strategic research at a time when Turkey's security environment, relations with neighboring states, and position within the wider Eurasian region were central subjects of public and policy debate. Reference material describes CESS as Turkey's first think tank organization. From its foundation, CESS concentrated on a broad set of subjects rather than a single policy field. Its stated or documented areas of study included politics, economics, international relations, history, security, demography, law, and technology. The institution placed particular emphasis on Turkey and its neighbors and sought to contribute to the formation of a national security strategy and to public awareness of geopolitical issues. Its work took the form of books, articles, studies, journals, and research conducted through specialist units. The organization's publication program expanded in 2000 when it began issuing the monthly journal Strategical Analysis, or Stratejik Analiz. The journal gave CESS a regular channel for presenting analysis of international affairs, regional developments, strategic questions, and Turkish foreign-policy concerns. It also helped establish the organization as a continuing publisher rather than solely an occasional producer of reports. In 2001, CESS founded the Institution of Armenian Studies, known in Turkish as Ermeni Araştırmaları Enstitüsü. During the same year, the institution began publishing the Review of Armenian Studies, or Ermeni Çalışmalarının İncelenmesi. The institute and periodical addressed Armenian-related historical and political questions. The available description characterizes their purpose as challenging ideological and controversial theories concerning Turkey and Azerbaijan, placing this part of CESS's work within highly sensitive disputes over historical interpretation, national identity, and regional politics. CESS added another specialized body in 2006 with the creation of the Institution of Crimes Against Humanity, or İnsanlığa Karşı Suçlar Enstitüsü. The available reference material does not provide sufficient detail to describe the institute's complete research program, organizational independence, or subsequent development. It does, however, show that CESS continued to broaden its institutional structure beyond general strategic analysis. The sources available for this entry do not establish a complete chronology of CESS's later publications, leadership, funding, legal status, or current activities. They also do not conclusively document whether the historical organization remains active in its original form or how it relates to similarly named contemporary Turkish research bodies. The official website is retained as a reference, but current operations should be confirmed directly. CESS is therefore best documented as a historically significant Turkish think tank with an uncertain present status.

• 2006

  Institution of Crimes Against Humanity is established

  [1]Center for Eurasian Strategic Studiesen.wikipedia.org

  CESS establishes the Institution of Crimes Against Humanity as a specialized research organization.

• 2001

  Institution of Armenian Studies is established

  [1]Center for Eurasian Strategic Studiesen.wikipedia.org

  CESS creates the Institution of Armenian Studies and launches the Review of Armenian Studies.

• 2000

  Strategical Analysis begins publication

  [1]Center for Eurasian Strategic Studiesen.wikipedia.org

  CESS starts publishing the monthly Strategical Analysis journal, also known as Stratejik Analiz.

• 1999

  CESS is founded

  [1]Center for Eurasian Strategic Studiesen.wikipedia.org

  Ümit Özdağ establishes the Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies in Turkey as a strategic research and policy-analysis organization.

A Turkish strategic-studies and policy-research institution positioned around national security, geopolitics, and analysis of Turkey's regional environment.

• Monthly strategic-affairs journal · 2000

  Strategical Analysis

  A monthly journal launched by CESS in 2000 under the Turkish title Stratejik Analiz. It served as a recurring publication channel for the organization's analysis of strategic affairs, geopolitics, security, international relations, and developments relevant to Turkey and its surrounding region.

• Specialized research journal · 2001

  Review of Armenian Studies

  A journal launched in 2001 by the Institution of Armenian Studies, an organization founded by CESS. It addressed Armenian-related historical and political subjects and was presented as part of CESS's effort to contest interpretations it regarded as ideological or controversial in relation to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

• Research publications

  Books, articles, and research studies

  CESS has published books, articles, and studies covering politics, economics, international relations, history, security, demography, law, technology, and regional affairs. The available sources do not provide a complete catalog or enough information to identify individual titles reliably.

• 2006

  Creation of the Institution of Crimes Against HumanityStrategy

  Background

  CESS continued developing specialist institutional units addressing historical, legal, and political questions.

  Action taken

  The organization founded the Institution of Crimes Against Humanity.

  Aftermath

  The new body broadened CESS's institutional portfolio, but the available material does not document its subsequent activities in detail.

  Source

• 2001

  Creation of a specialized Armenian-studies institutionStrategy

  Background

  Questions involving Armenian history and the political relationship among Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan were part of CESS's regional research agenda.

  Action taken

  CESS established the Institution of Armenian Studies and launched the Review of Armenian Studies.

  Aftermath

  The organization expanded its research structure into a politically sensitive specialist field, although the sources do not establish the institution's later trajectory.

  Source

• 2000

  Launch of Strategical AnalysisProduct launch

  Background

  CESS sought to build a sustained public and policy discussion around national security and geopolitics.

  Action taken

  The organization began publishing the monthly Strategical Analysis journal.

  Aftermath

  The journal became a recurring publication associated with the think tank; the available sources do not document its complete publication history.

  Source

1. 1Center for Eurasian Strategic Studiesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies official websiteasamturk.org